Violent Night

When a group of mercenaries attack the estate of a wealthy family, Santa Claus must step in to save the day (and Christmas).

In Greenwich, Connecticut, Jason Lightstone, his estranged wife Linda, and their 7-year-old daughter Trudy visit his mother Gertrude’s mansion to celebrate Christmas with his sister Alva, her new boyfriend and wannabe-action star Morgan Steel, and Alva’s online streamer son Bertrude. Finding an old walkie-talkie for Trudy to “talk to Santa”, Jason and Linda overhear her only wish: to become a family again. Drunkenly delivering gifts, Santa Claus arrives at the Lightstone estate where the caterers reveal themselves to be mercenaries with Christmas-themed codenames. Led by “Mr. Scrooge”, they slaughter the staff and take the family hostage.

Santa is discovered by one of the henchmen, whose gunfire scares away the reindeer, and they fight until Santa knocks him out of a window to his death. Stranded, Santa decides to save Trudy and her family from Scrooge, who demands the $300 million in cash from the mansion’s vault. Santa kills another henchman and takes his radio, coming across Trudy’s channel, and finds the mercenaries on his magical naughty list. When Trudy’s walkie-talkie is discovered, Jason tells their captors that she is simply playing make-believe and declares that Santa is not real, causing her to run and hide in the attic. Santa reassures Trudy over the radio, revealing that he was once Nikamund the Red, a bloodthirsty Viking warrior and finds comfort in his 1,100 years of marriage to Mrs. Claus. Mr. Scrooge’s henchman Krampus forces the family to present their gifts to Gertrude, who is surprised by a card from Jason.

Wounded, Santa is captured by Scrooge who bears a childhood grudge against Christmas. Santa’s knowledge of their real identities convinces henchmen Gingerbread and Candy Cane that he is real, and he uses his magic to escape through the chimney, though they burn his magic sack. Gertrude’s private “kill squad” led by Commander Thorp arrives, but are in league with Scrooge and kill Morgan when he tries to escape. Finding the vault empty, Scrooge threatens Linda and Jason confesses that he stole the money and was planning to flee with his wife and daughter which he explained in his card to his mother. He reveals the money hidden in a nativity scene outside and Gertrude forgives his treachery as the secret Lightstone rite of passage (having stolen her company from her grandfather), choosing him as her heir.

Retreating to a shed, Santa finds a sledgehammer and brutally slaughters the kill squad. Trudy creates traps inspired by Home Alone, resulting in Gingerbread’s death. Candy Cane prepares to shoot her, but she is killed by Santa. Scrooge gives the order to kill the hostages, but Alva, Linda, and Bert manage to kill Krampus instead. Scrooge and Thorp flee into the woods with the money and a captive Gertrude, pursued by Santa. Linda kills the last mercenary and Trudy sees her parents reunite with a kiss. Lured by Scrooge, Santa crashes into a cabin and Scrooge finds himself on the naughty list and acknowledges Santa is real and decides to kill him as he blames Christmas for ruining his childhood. They fight, and Scrooge gains the upper hand, but is instantly killed when Santa uses his magic to drag him up the cabin’s chimney, crushing and eviscerating him.

Santa is fatally shot in the chest by Thorp, who is killed by Gertrude. Despite Jason burning some of the money to keep him warm, Santa succumbs to his wounds. Trudy inspires her family to all declare their belief in Santa, and he is revived, admitting that he still does not really understand how Christmas magic works. His reindeer return (with a note from Mrs. Claus and a new sack of presents) and Santa bids goodbye to Trudy before flying off to finish delivering gifts, his faith in Christmas renewed.